Three witnesses said Hughes was struck at Kennedy Boulevard and Bond Street by a black Honda Ridgeline pickup truck that was traveling north on Kennedy Boulevard at 11:47 p.m., police said.

Two witnesses said they were walking south on Kennedy Boulevard when they heard a loud crash, reports said.

They saw the pickup, which contained a male driver and female passenger, stop momentarily where Hughes was lying in the street and then take off north of Kennedy and then eastbound on Sip Avenue, police said.

The pickup was traveling at a high rate of speed, the witnesses said, according to reports.

Another witness told police the driver of the pickup blew through a red light at Kennedy Boulevard and Stuyvesant Avenue, reports said.

Hughes is survived by his wife of 14 years and two daughters, ages 12 and 13, both of whom attend Midtown Community School in Bayonne.

His wife said yesterday that Hughes was recently released from jail where he served time for a domestic violence incident on June.

Joyce Hughes said she asked the judge for an early release because her husband was terminally ill with liver disease.

Joyce Hughes said she last saw her husband at a Jehovah’s Witness house of worship on 44th Street in Bayonne but did not know where he was living.

“When I heard about it (Gene Hughes’ death) the other day it was really shocking,” she said.

A bass player and music producer, Gene Hughes released several acid jazz and house recordings and re-mixes in the late 80s and early 90s under different aliases, including Bluejeans Regime and Rawthenticity on various New York City record labels, according to Discogs website.

Police are urging the driver of the pickup and his passenger to come forward and ask that anyone with information about this incident call the Jersey City police tip line at (201) 547-JAIL.